Vietnam masters two test methods to detect coronavirus

Vietnam has not only mastered the test that looks for genetic material present in the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), but also succeeded in developing quick tests, local media cited the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control at a meeting on April 27.

A view of the meeting. Photo: Dinh Nam

According to experts at the meeting of the Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, there are currently two Covid-19 test methods: Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and antibody tests for rapid testing, and Vietnam has proficiency in both.

For the PCR test method, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long stated Vietnam has been able to develop bio-products for PCR tests, replacing the imported ones.

For the quick tests or antibodies test method, the health ministry’s representative explained that Vietnam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology had worked with a Japanese university to develop rapid test kits with high efficiency.

Quick tests are easier to use but low in accuracy compared to the PCR method. The latter is therefore often used to confirm the former’s results, said the experts.

Vietnam is the world’s fifth country to have successfully manufactured the bio-products for Covid-19 testing. According to Vietnam’s Health Ministry, the made-in-Vietnam products are easy to be use by health personnel at all levels, even in district hospitals, allowing them to take advantage of the testing machines available.

So far, Vietnam has been self-sufficient in a number items for epidemic prevention and control including all the drugs used for the Covid-19 therapeutic regimen, surgical masks, protective gears, bio-products for testing as well as mastering testing methods for screening and detecting Covid-19 infections.

A medical staff extracts a pER 1 solution from the test kit as part of a coronavirus test. Photo: T.Tung

At the meeting, the Steering Committee highly valued the enterprises who have researched and manufactured mechanical ventilators such as Metran and Vingroup. The Committee encouraged Vietnamese universities and research institutes to study and manufacture simple non-invasive ventilators for communal health clinics in remote and mountainous areas.

Vietnam has to date tested 212,000 samples and detected 270 Covid-19 patients.

WHO recognizes made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 test kit

Made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 test kits have been recognized by the Emergency Use Listing procedure (EUL) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The "LightPoweriVA SARS-CoV-2 kit 1st RT-rPCR Kit" produced by Viet A Technologies Joint Stock Company has been granted EUL code 0524-210-00 by WHO, VnExpress quoted the company's representative as saying on April 26.

The kits, which use reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), can detect the new coronavirus in droplets obtained from the respiratory tract and blood.

They were developed successfully by the Vietnam Military Medical University and Viet A Company with funding from the science ministry.

Last Tuesday, Vietnamese Covid-19 test kits also received CE certification and a Certificate of Free Sale from the UK, which allows them to be sold in Europe.

As such, Covid-19 test kits manufactured in Vietnam can be sold on the global market. Last month, around 20 countries and territories were negotiating purchase of the kits from Vietnam.